Try the flexitarian diet to eat more plants without giving up meat |
According to the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Diet Rankings, the flexitarian diet came in second healthiest overall (tied with the DASH diet) and was considered among the easiest to follow and most family-friendly. What makes the diet easy to follow is that there aren't any strict rules. The semi-vegetarian eating pattern emphasizes plant foods, such as veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, pulses (beans and legumes) and whole grains, but leaves some room for meat, dairy and other animal foods. But the creator of the diet, Dawn Jackson Blatner, does offer some easy guidelines in her book, depending on how much meat you're currently eating. - Start with two meatless meals a week. If you're just starting out, Blatner suggests two meatless meals per week, however even when consuming meat, plant foods form the foundation of meals.
- Then, increase the number of meatless meals you eat each week. But in truth, a flexitarian diet is by definition, flexible, so you don't have to follow specific rules.
- Make meat a side, not a main dish. Even if you don't go meatless for a set number of meals, the idea is to eat smaller portions of animal-based meals, enjoy them less often, and make plant-based foods the center of your plate. With this philosophy, meat might be an accent or sized like a side dish rather than the main event.
Get a sample meal plan here. |
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